Dwight Yorke defends tactics against Jamaica in World Cup qualifier

IN the wake of his team's 1-1 draw with Jamaica at the Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo on November 13, a result which knocked TT's men's football team out of contention for the Fifa 2026 World Cup, coach Dwight Yorke defended his tactics and suggested his team's game plans worked "incredibly."

The caveat, though, is that Yorke's charges needed a win to keep any qualifying hopes alive and they were unable to get the result after dominating Jamaica for most of the 90 minutes.

"It's a game (Jamaica) definitely didn't want to lose. And they played that way. They didn't play the Jamaican way that you'd think – Jamaica play a certain type of way. They were dropping off," Yorke said, at the post-match press conference.

For the must-win game, many eyebrows would have been raised when regular team captain Kevin Molino started on the substitutes' bench. It was the fourth straight game in the final round where the 35 year old wasn't featured in the starting XI. Molino was suspended for the team's clash away to the Reggae Boyz in September, was mysteriously absent for the away win to Bermuda and came on as a halftime substitute in the 1-1 draw away to Curacao last month.

And roughly 18 minutes after coming on against the Reggae Boyz in Mucurapo, the wily Molino wiped out Jamaica's opener from Renaldo Cephas when he passed into the bottom corner from close range after the pair of Damion Lowe and Ethan Pinnock failed to deal with a ball which was chipped towards the area.

TT didn't have their key playmaker from the start, though, as Yorke opted for a more workmanlike midfield trio of Jerrin Jackie, Daniel Phillips and Andre Rampersad. In truth, TT didn't rely on the middle third for their attacking inspiration as they often went directly to their wingers Dante Sealy and Tyrese Spicer, or bustling forward Levi Garcia.

Yorke felt the plan to start with a more industrious midfield worked like a charm as he said it disrupted Jamaica's own physical play and even left Steve McClaren's team rattled.

"We know what Molino brings to the table. There's no question about that. We felt that Jamaica really weren't going to come and have a go at us...we felt we needed to be aggressive against them in the midfield," Yorke said, suggesting that the Reggae Boyz were playing for a point to take the hosts out of the qualifying picture.

"We thought we'd go physical in there to make sure for the first 45-60 minutes, that we'd try and rattle them. And we did.

"They were hanging on and playing for time and breaking the game up. I was a bit surprised by that, but that's to show that our strategy and planning were spot on."

While his team was trailing, Yorke said he reverted to a back three to allow the full backs to push higher up the field, while the wingers were inverted to create more options and bodies in the heart of the attacking third.

"When you see your game plan working like we have worked and then score from it with Molino coming on, you've got to say that's well thought out, right?"

On another day, Yorke's plans may have worked perfectly but TT again lacked cutting-edge in front of goal.

"We had three big chances in the game, and we didn't take any of them, which again seems to be the theme. Overall, I'm sure there are going to be critics out there who would say 'you could have gone with Molino a bit earlier and stuff.'

"I'm the coach. I made the decision, and we had a game plan, and I think we executed the plan incredibly. Unfortunately, we didn't get the results. Everything else we put into practice worked."

Goal-scoring woes, Yorke backs Levi

TT have a goal per game ratio in their five matches in Concacaf's final round so far, and it again proved to be a sore point for the team.

Since the former TT captain took over the coaching duties last November, he has used at least five players in the number nine (centre forward position), with stand-in captain Garcia, Isaiah Leacock, Isaiah Lee, Justin Obikwu and Roald Mitchell, who debuted in the 1-1 draw with Jamaica, all being utilised as striking options in competitive matches, with Brent Sam being used in multiple friendly matches.

"Number nines in the world – not just in Trinidad – have become a rare thing. That's something you used to find quite a lot," Yorke said, when asked if TT's lack of a goal-scoring was a reflection of the quality of strikers at his disposal.

Once fit, the Russian-based Garcia has been the preferred choice in the number nine role for both Yorke and his predecessor Angus Eve, and Yorke reckons he is best-suited for the role at present. Garcia has scored two goals in eight matches in these qualifiers, with those goals coming in the second round against Costa Rica and St Kitts and Nevis.

"We have looked at that position, and Levi is the best...he's been outstanding throughout the campaign," the TT coach said. "Ultimately as a striker, you're ultimately going to be judged on goals, and that's an area we lacked. That's why we've drawn so many games for not taking the opportunity. A number nine is something we've looked at. I think Levi has done extremely well. That's an area that I'll continue to try and use him until we find somebody who is really suitable."

Right-winger Sealy currently leads TT's goal count in the qualifiers with three goals, while Garcia and five other plays have scored two goals apiece.